


the scenes that connect us, I didn't know they could be this beautiful

by LuciaHunter



Series: Determination Symphony [3]
Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-23 07:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20336719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciaHunter/pseuds/LuciaHunter
Summary: "Every encounter a miracle; each meeting once in a lifetime."Most don't realise the importance of the people around them. One day, Sayo is given the chance to change that for herself.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written with the help of feathers, who's an invaluable part of my creative process. Thank you as always.
> 
> I'm actually really happy with this one, and it's been quite a journey. I hope you all enjoy.

A gust of cold wind blew across the shrine, raking fallen leaves across the paved ground. Tsugumi shivered as she pulled her light sweater tighter around herself, wishing she had put on a thicker coat. While her usual outfit had sufficed for the spring season so far, it had been an unseasonably cold day, despite the approaching summer.

She briefly wondered if the coming days would turn for the warmer soon. Though the heat was just as bothersome, at least it was predictable unlike sudden cold spells such as today.

Gripping her hands tighter around the handle of her schoolbag resting on her right shoulder, she hurried towards her target: an innocuous looking rock said to enshrine a god of romance. She wasn't the kind of girl who dabbled in these kinds of rumours much (that was more of Lisa's field), but word on the street was that it had been extremely effective indeed- at least six or seven girls in her school had attributed their newfound relationships to praying at this rock. Or well, that was how the rumours went. As always, it was a friend of a friend who had heard the story and no one really knew just who had actually received such blessings.

That normally would've stopped at simply being an interesting titbit of information for Tsugumi. And it would have, if she hadn't spent her entire lunch watching Moca drop a pickup line on a blushing Ran every other sentence, while Tomoe and Himari were being disgustingly sweet feeding each other lunch.

Tsugumi was happy for her friends. She really was. But she deserved to be happy too! It wasn't like she was unhappy by herself in particular, but being the fifth wheel in every situation was starting to grate on her.

Which was why desperation had driven her to this shrine, silly as she felt, pulling out some coins from her coin pouch to offer up to the deity.

Well if a few hundred yen and an hour of her time after school could truly grant her happiness… it would be a small price to pay, right?

Closing her eyes, Tsugumi began to pray.

* * *

Somewhere else in the same, _yet subtly different_ city, Roselia was wrapping up practice.

"Good work today, everyone."

Sayo let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, when Yukina's words signalled the end of their practice session. Unplugging her guitar from the amp, she began the process of carefully wiping it down and packing it away, handling it as she would a new-born baby. Usually this was where Yukina would comment on their individual performances for the session, but she seemed satisfied enough today- not quite enough to smile, but Sayo could tell from the assured look in Yukina's eyes that they were all still on track for their struggle towards Future World Fes.

Well given that they all just had a live performance the other week, it was… nice to take things a bit slower for once, Sayo grudgingly admitted to herself. She appreciated constructive criticism for sure, but that sensation of having been able to meet Yukina's high standards with her own effort was a boost to her confidence.

Plus, it was getting just a little bit difficult to juggle extra practice alongside her newfound commitments.

Thank the gods for data-based phone calls. She couldn't possibly imagine what it was like if she had been born a decade earlier, forced to rely on a set amount of free minutes a month (or god forbid, on a house line where she would have to fight over the phone with Hina and her incessant conversations with Aya). Given how Tsugumi and her were spending anywhere between half an hour to an hour on the line each night, it was certainly nice to be able to talk without restraint.

Though that left her with only an hour of personal practice at night… Sayo stiffened up as she wondered if the difference was audible in the sound of her guitar. Even if Yukina hadn't said anything, perhaps she was just being kind-

A hand clapped onto her shoulder, causing her to physically jump into the air, almost fumbling her guitar case if not for her iron-fisted grip on the strap. "Sayo~ What's that look on your face for? It was a good session, wasn't it?"

Lisa. For all her meddling, the brunette was one of the kindest souls Sayo ever had the fortune to meet in this life, and had played no small part in helping Tsugumi and her get together- but that was a story for another time.

"It was. I was just… worried about my performance today."

"Hmm? I don't remember hearing anything off… everything jazzed together pretty well don't 'cha think?" Lisa tilted her head to the side, finger raised to her chin in thought. "Hey Yukina~ Everything was great today, wasn't it?"

"Of course. I know what's on your mind, Sayo. You don't need to worry. Rather than harming, it's helping you find your sound."

Sayo blinked in astonishment. Had she really been that obvious? Part of her mind wanted to question whether Yukina really understood what the issue at hand was, but she also knew Roselia had been through enough together for such worries to be easily transparent. "Is… that so…"

"Emotions help bring out the potential of your music, Sayo~ You should also remember the first time Yukina sang Hidamari Rhodonite after we got together!"

"Lisa. You're talking too much." The blush on Yukina's face betrayed her true thoughts however, as she shuffled a bunch of musical scores to try and hide her face. "If you two are already done packing, then go ahead and secure our next booking as discussed over break."

"Okay~"

Sayo couldn't help but let a bemused smile slip onto her face as Lisa looped her arm around hers and practically dragged her out of the studio, school bags and instrument cases in tow. Up until recently, she had been an exceedingly private person in life, so it was a refreshing sensation to be… simply _known_, to have true friends who understood her worries even without words.

"Imai-san... Thank you."

"Jeez, what are you saying Sayo! We're all in this together, right? If it's something that's affecting Roselia negatively we'll definitely talk about it, so you can trust in us for that!"

"You're right. After what happened lately too, I suppose I should have had more faith in everyone myself."

Lisa mimed a wound to her heart, with a loud oof. "Wow, way to bring that up again, Sayo." She opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by another energetic voice greeting them.

"Lisa-chan, Sayo-chan! Done already?"

Sayo turned her attention to the friendly middle-aged woman before them, dressed in her same outfit as always. "Marina-san. Yes, we would like to make our next reservation as well, if you're free."

"Of course! Just step this way, and I'll book you into the system."

Sayo allowed herself a brief mental reprieve as Lisa took over the paperwork as she usually did, hovering just a step behind the other two working over the lounge counter. It had been a long day, but at least she had plans for dinner with Tsugumi right after. Thank the gods it's Friday, indeed.

Given their intensive practice schedules, not to mention different schools, it had been expectedly difficult for the pair to meet regularly. Still, they had quickly settled on an agreement to try and find time to meet at least once a week, for a meal if nothing else. So far that had played out decently, even if Tsugumi had to crash Roselia's post-live reflection session the past week (much to Ako's delight).

_It's difficult… but it's worth it. And we'll make it work together, somehow._

"Yoohoo, Earth to Sayo-chan~"

The guitarist blinked to refocus her eyes and attention, catching sight of Marina waving a hand in front of her face with Lisa giggling off to the side. "My apologies, I zoned out for a bit."

"Hmm, what's got the serious Sayo-chan so distracted that she would totally slip out of reality like that? Could it be… someone in particular? A certain keyboardist from Afterglow?"

Lisa's guffaws only intensified, as Sayo's face flushed. "Marina-san!" She had no idea just who had clued the manager of CiRCLE in on their relationship, but it wasn't exactly like the two of them had been subtle about it: all the times either Sayo or Tsugumi had ended up waiting at the lounge for the other to finish practice was conspicuous enough.

"Ah, young love. I remember when I was at your age, playing in a band myself…" Marina clasped a hand to her cheek wistfully, seemingly lost in her memories. "Those were the days indeed…"

"Jeez Marina-san, you're nowhere near that old!" Lisa interjected. "You still have plenty of opportunities left!"

"Haha, thank you for saying that Lisa-chan! But well, it's not always about the opportunities we have, but the ones we choose to take," Marina replied sombrely, with the mood taking a sudden plunge. "Say, Sayo-chan. If there was someone close to you who was really unhappy, would you go out of your way to help them?"

The air almost seemed to freeze at that moment, with the jovial tone evaporating as though it hadn't been there just seconds ago. Startled by the shift, Sayo took a glance at Lisa, who was still smiling as though nothing was wrong.

_Does Imai-san not feel this pressure?.._

"What's with the sudden question?.." Sayo frowned, but gave an answer anyway. "It… depends on the situation of course. I can't possibly give an answer like that."

"Sayo's just being modest. This girl can't possibly leave anyone troubled alone, even if she has her own way of resolving things."

"Imai-san!" Sayo could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks again.

"It's the truth!" Lisa defended herself, hands held up placatingly. "Remember that lost girl at the water park? Jeez Sayo you should give yourself more credit. I've seen you help complete strangers all the time, let alone people you care about."

Biting her lip, Sayo couldn't find a proper rebuttal to Lisa's words, and settled for a noncommittal shrug. "It's still an odd question to ask, Marina-san."

"Oh, I was just curious, that's all." The odd atmosphere had all but vanished, with a bright beaming smile back on Marina's face. "Now, I'm sure you all have other things to be doing, so don't let me hold you girls up!"

_What was even the point of that? Am I overthinking things?.._

Right on cue, Sayo could hear Ako's excitable voice popping up from behind them. "Lisa-nee, Sayo-san! Are you done yet?"

"Yep, we were just about to get going!" Lisa briefly turned around, before facing Marina once more. "We'll be heading off then, thanks again for today Marina-san!"

Following Lisa's lead, Sayo nodded to Marina along with the rest of the band's greetings, heading out with the other girls. There was something about the odd conversation that had stuck with her, that left a sense of unease and a crease on her eyebrows.

She had the foreboding feeling that sensation wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Story and chapter titles are all lines from Safe and Sound.)
> 
> Will be posting updates to this every few days. Hope everyone playing on Garupa EN is having fun with the ongoing Roselia Summer in the Shining Land of Water event! Perfect timing for this story yay.


	2. our passionate, clarion music chases after the direction of our dreams

_It's just a random question…_

Later that night as she crawled into her bed, curling up with her green striped and orange cushions, Sayo was positively frustrated with herself at how she had been unable to dislodge that unsettling feeling.

At least she had managed to forget about it during her dinner with Tsugumi. Their conversation had been light as usual, even as they slowly worked their way through the bowls of ramen at one of Tomoe's recommended stores. No matter the worries plaguing her, Sayo was always able to find peace with Tsugumi by her side.

On a whim, she tapped away at her phone, sending a brief message. "_Can I call you now?"_

It felt like she had barely sent the message before her phone's screen was taken over by an incoming call notification, from the girl in question itself. Sayo could feel the smile on her lips as she quickly accepted the call.

"Sayo-san? Is everything alright?"

The worried tone in Tsugumi's voice struck Sayo like a punch in the gut, though it was also accompanied by a warm sensation that tingled her toes.

"Everything is fine. I'm sorry if I worried you, I just wanted to hear your voice for a bit." Sayo tried to keep her voice as level and calm as possible, wanting to reassure her girlfriend.

"Oh, it's alright! It's just, I was surprised, that's all… It's different from usual, so I was afraid something might have happened."

As a creature of habit and schedule, Sayo almost never did something as spontaneous as this: calls with her girlfriend were usually arranged at least half an hour prior by message. It was her way of respecting Tsugumi's time. Normally after a date night they would simply continue over text, but tonight was… special, and not in a good way.

"Sor-" Sayo almost uttered another apology by default, before forcing it back down. Another apology wouldn't get them anywhere, and it wasn't what was needed right now. "Thank you for worrying about me, Tsugumi-san. Is it a good time to talk?"

"Of course! Was there something you wanted to talk about?.."

_I could reassure her to no end and she would still always be able to see through me,_ the thought brought a faint smile. "It's nothing much, I just had something odd happen today that's been on my mind."

Tsugumi's pensive hum came over the phone, and Sayo could picture the girl tilting her head curiously, finger to her chin. It was a cute visage.

"Well, it doesn't sound like much, but this is what happened…"

Sayo proceeded to fill in Tsugumi on the details of just what had happened after practice, with its seemingly casual conversation and unsettling question. The more she spoke, the lamer she felt about it though: wasn't she just making a big fuss over nothing? By the end of her short explanation, she felt as though she owed her girlfriend an apology again for calling so suddenly over something so trivial.

"I see… this must have really been on your mind a lot huh, Sayo-san."

"It… sounds really trivial, doesn't it," Sayo laughed bitterly. "It's nothing really…"

"Maybe you just needed to talk to someone about it? But I trust your instincts, Sayo-san. So maybe you could ask Marina-san about it the next time you see her?"

"Oh."

With just a few words, Sayo instantly felt like the dumbest person on the planet.

"Sayo-san?"

"I… didn't think of asking her."

Tsugumi laughed gently, the tinkling sound lightening Sayo's mood. "It must have really worried you, Sayo-san! But that would be a good solution, right? If you want, I could ask her with you?"

"Aren't you working tomorrow? It's alright, Tsugumi-san. But thank you. Talking to you always clears my mind and makes everything so simple."

"Hehe, I'm glad you feel that way, Sayo-san!" A brief pause followed, and Sayo could hear Tsugumi's light breaths over the phone. "I love you, Sayo."

Even if they had been dating for a while now, these intimate moments never failed to send Sayo's heart racing a mile a minute, curling up on her bed beneath her blanket. Not that she was afraid to share their love with the world, but rather she wanted to hold it in solely for herself. "I love you too, Tsugumi."

A sharp intake of breath came over the line, and Sayo knew she had scored a critical hit. A pleased hum followed, with a prolonged but comfortable silence.

"I think I'm about to go to bed… What are you up to right now, Sayo-san?"

Sayo smiled wryly to herself, before admitting with a tinge of guilt. "I'm actually already in bed, to be honest."

"Oh that's unfair, Sayo-san! I want to be in bed with you!"

Eyes widening, the guitarist choked out the best response she could. "I- I see."

"Hmm?" Sayo could almost hear the gears ticking as Tsugumi pieced together what she had just said. "Ahhhh! No not like that! I mean, yes but- ahhh! Sorry Sayo-san! I didn't mean anything by it!"

_Does this girl even realise what she's saying?_ It suddenly felt uncomfortably hot under her green striped blanket, and Sayo folded the upper half down to expose herself to the cold night air as she struggled to cool down. "It's alright, Tsugumi-san. I understand what you meant."

A muffled groan came over the phone in response. It didn't seem like Tsugumi was capable of much more conversation for the night.

"Fufu. I'll let you go ahead and get ready for bed. Thank you again, Tsugumi-san."

"Mm, I'm always here for you, Sayo-san. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Hmm…" Sayo racked her brains for her schedule tomorrow, trying to see where she could fit things in. "I'll stop by the café after practice to tell you how things went with Marina-san?"

"I'll look forward to it!"

"Me too. Good night, Tsugumi-san."

"Sweet dreams, Sayo-san!"

Sayo hung up the phone, smiling as she always did when her home screen came up. It was a photo taken by Tsugumi, a selfie after one of their baking sessions. Tsugumi had a smudge of flour on her nose, and Sayo had a chocolate smear on her cheek. Her girlfriend had demanded a redo of the photo at first upon seeing the marks she hadn't noticed, but Sayo had insisted on keeping this one as it spoke to her.

They were imperfect, but they were imperfect together.

Her heart now at ease, Sayo set her phone aside and prepared to sleep.

As long as she had Tsugumi by her side, she was sure everything would be alright.

* * *

Dawn found Sayo ensnared in her dark blue blanket, all twisted up from her tossing all night. Despite going to bed with a clear mind, sleep had only found her briefly before a series of restless dreams invaded her psyche. Though she had no memory of waking up during the night, she still felt unrested as though she had just barely closed her eyes.

Disorientated and groggy, Sayo reached out a shaky hand to check her phone by her bed. Minutes before her alarm was set to go off at 7am. _No point dragging it out any further_, she sighed and disengaged the alarm. Unentangling herself from her blankets, she made her bed through muscle memory alone, setting aside the matching pale blue cushions by the side as always.

As she got out of bed, Sayo wobbled slightly, unable to catch her balance and placing a hand on her wooden bed stand to steady herself. _Looks like last night was rougher than I thought… Was it the ramen I ate? Is Tsugumi-san alright?.._

Something felt off, that she couldn't quite place. Nevertheless, she pulled the curtains open to let daylight flood the room, determined to get through this day by force of will alone if she had to. Even if it was a weekend, Hikawa Sayo was not a slovenly person!

With the room lit up, the fog seemed to clear a bit from Sayo's head, even while she blinked to adjust her pupils to the new light level. She could hear the chirping of the birds outside, and Hina's faint humming coming from the living room. Today's plans: Homework, Roselia practice, meeting Tsugumi for a coffee or two (or six, depending), and then back home for dinner and more solo practice.

Lack of sleep or not, she was going to make this a productive day like any other, Sayo affirmed to herself with a nod. So she walked towards the door, catching a strange visage in the mirror out of the corner of her eye but marking it down as a sleep-deprived hallucination.

At least, until she opened the door and saw herself sitting on the sofa outside, humming softly while doodling on a notebook of some sort.

No, not quite herself. It was like a bad caricature of her: a grin too wide on her own face, eyes crinkled from frequent smiles, and a light in the eyes that she knew she never had, but was always envious of since childhood. A face she had perhaps detested for a while, but had always loved dearly.

Sayo froze in the doorway shell-shocked, and Hina turned to face her with a guilty expression, _her long teal hair falling gracefully around her_. Timidly she asked, "Sorry, did I wake you up, Onee-chan?"

Sayo's hand shot up to her own head, desperately grasping for confirmation. _No. No no no no no!_

She dashed back into her own room- still her own room, but noticeably different now that she was more awake. Inching towards the mirror, Sayo forced herself to confront the truth she had been subconsciously avoiding since morning.

And then she screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it begins.
> 
> A quick update, to get the story started in earnest.


	3. whenever it seems like I'm about to lose something

"Onee-chan, you're hurting me!"

Sayo gasped as she unclenched her hands, fistfuls of long teal hair falling back down to their owner's side. Hair that should've been on her own head, so why was it on her sister's?

After confirming the truth of her own short haircut in the mirror and pinching herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, the next thing she had done was dash out again to examine Hina's hair more closely.

_No, it's not a wig._

The idea that Hina might have somehow cut off all of her hair while she was sleeping, and also put on a wig was admittedly absurd by most standards. But then again, it was Hina; one could never be too sure. At least that possibility was ruled out.

"Sorry, Hina! I just… something really strange is happening to me right now."

"Onee…chan?"

Unable to sit still, Sayo got up and took a look around the living room where she was, taking in every detail. It was mostly as she remembered it. Some additional trinkets she didn't remember, while others were missing. The date of the newspaper on the coffee table was what it was supposed to be. Everything was _almost_ normal; if it hadn't been for the glaringly obvious difference of their hairstyles, Sayo might have just brushed it all off and gone about her day as usual.

"Hina. What did you do?"

"I- I don't know? Onee-chan what's wrong?"

Her long legs pacing around the living room, Sayo mentally put all the facts she had on hand together. _I have to stay calm. I have to stay rational. There has to be a logical explanation for this._

_Yesterday life was still normal. I went to sleep last night after calling Tsugumi. I didn't sleep well. I woke up in my room, in my house, but things are slightly different. It's too vivid and real to be a dream._

_Hina and I have each other's hairstyles. Hair doesn't just change overnight so this means our bodies have been like this for a while. _

_The date is correct, so I didn't fall into a coma or anything- though the lack of medical equipment says as much. Hina's reactions so far suggests this is normal life for us- which means my memories are the abnormality._

_Did I hit my head? _The thought terrified Sayo, as she struggled to reconcile her memories with her reality. Nothing felt real anymore.

"Onee-chan, you're scaring me…" Still petrified on the sofa where she had been since the start, Hina hadn't moved an inch, as though afraid that a single movement could cause something terrible to transpire.

_I have to get it together,_ Sayo slapped herself mentally as she forced herself to stop pacing, looking at her little sister. _I have to figure this out._

_Hina…_

A memory floated to the top of her head, of an afternoon filled with tension. Just like back then, she had been plagued by restless dreams. And Tsugumi had offered a strange explanation, a strange theory she had learned from Hina one day.

"Oh my God," Sayo breathed as the realisation hit her with the force of a speeding truck, grabbing hold of the sofa to steady herself. "It's happening for real."

_I'm not just dreaming of alternate realities. I'm _in_ an alternate reality._

Hina's only reply was her terror-filled gaze.

_I have to get it together,_ Sayo repeated to herself sternly. It was an unprecedented crisis she had no experience with, but she still couldn’t keep worrying Hina like this. But now that she had a theory of just what was happening, it was a lot easier to remain calm. Impossible and crazy as it was, at least it was an explanation that answered all her questions.

Well either that, or she had suffered considerable brain damage. Personally, she would rather go with the alternate realities explanation.

"Hina, do you have plans this morning?"

The expression on Hina's face morphed from terror to confusion and disbelief, as though Sayo had suddenly grown a second head. "I… don't?"

"I need to talk to you, but first there's some things I have to check. Will you please wait for me?"

Sayo watched as Hina's face ran through a whole gamut of emotions, before settling on happiness with tears in her eyes. "Of course! I'll wait for as long as it takes, Onee-chan! I'm just so happy you're talking to me again!"

_Just so happy you're talking to me again?.._ Sayo blanched as the ramifications of what Hina had just said hit her. But there would be time for that later- for now she needed more answers on her own.

"I'll- I'll be back after half an hour," she promised as she strode back into her room. That should give her enough time. There were just a few things she needed to check, and then she had to wash up. Alternate reality crisis or not, Hikawa Sayo would not go about her day in a bedraggled state.

"I'll make breakfast for you Onee-chan!" She could hear Hina cry out happily from behind her, before her humming resumed in full force.

Closing her door behind her, Sayo only had one thought off the top of her head

_I sure hope this Hina knows how to cook any better than the one I know..._

* * *

Ten minutes later, she was no closer to finding out the truth behind what had transpired. But at least she was slightly closer to understanding this world's Hikawa Sayo.

Her first move had been to search for her old diary, which she had started in middle school. But the way it lay undisturbed, hidden within one of her drawers where she remembered had told her as much: This world's Sayo had also stopped writing records a year after starting it. There was only so much monotony one could put within it before getting bored of writing down the same events over and over again.

Practice, day after day. It had been a period she didn't remember much of, despite its recency; there really just wasn't that much to recall. But it was what made her the guitarist she was today.

The next thing she had checked was her laptop she used for schoolwork. Nothing seemed amiss as far as she could tell. Which in hindsight was to be expected, given that she only used it for schoolwork and sometimes music, but that was about it. At least her work ethic was the same.

The last, and most important thing she sat down on the edge of her bed to check, was the thing she knew she could glean the most from: Her phone.

In this day and age, smartphones were an extension of the self. She knew that as much as anyone else, even for someone like her who spent most of her time on study and practice. She was certain that if she could get answers from anywhere, it would be here.

And what horrified her the most about it wasn't what she found, but rather what she could not find.

There was no chat history with Tsugumi. Or rather, her contact wasn't even in her phone. No record of a Hazawa or Tsugumi anywhere.

It had been a severe blow that had left her stunned for a few seconds, but the urgency of the situation had driven Sayo to keep scrolling, searching through all the relevant apps for as much clues as she could gather.

Her chat history with Hina here was non-existent as well, at best only terse messages within the family chat group about mundane matters such as when each of them were coming home. Well it wasn't like she had much more of a chat history with Hina back in her own world either, but this complete radio silence was... deeply concerning.

The Roselia chat group was present, at the very least. But scrolling through it rapidly had given confirmation to Sayo's growing suspicions: It was mostly Lisa, Ako and Rinko chatting with the inane banter, with the occasional message from Yukina. This world's Sayo only spoke when it came to necessary band matters such as scheduling.

The other apps were less easy to glean clues from, but Sayo's constant attention to detail made it possible for her to play this high-stakes game of Spot The Difference. Her photos with Tsugumi were of course missing, but she definitely had less scenery photos from outings as well. Her baking recipe website bookmarks were missing. Some notes she had taken during casual conversations with other acquaintances were also absent, such as the brand of hand lotion Tae and friends had gifted her.

Information in hand, Sayo quietly reflected on what she now knew as she went about washing up in the bathroom.

_This world's Hikawa Sayo... well it sounds rich coming from me, but this girl, as Imai-san might put it, has a serious stick up her ass._

_Just what happened? What didn't happen? How could this Sayo be so different from me?_

She knew there was no way she could get these answers she sought, really. Not without asking the person in question itself. But given that she was in her body, then she doubted they were ever going to meet.

_Wait, if I'm in her body... is she in mine?_

_Is this change permanent?_

Sayo felt her blood run cold as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, toothbrush frozen in mouth. It was a chilling thought, to be sure. But also one she could do nothing about right now.

_I sure hope she doesn't do anything crazy in my body if this is the case. Tsugumi-san..._

She could only act on the information that she had. Looking at her daily planner earlier, it seemed like her schedule was similar to what she had planned back in her own world, minus the Hazawa Coffee stop. Homework in the morning, practice with Roselia, then more practice at home.

Seeing her plans had instantly reminded her of something critical she had forgotten, but seemed so clear in hindsight. Perhaps she had just been too flustered in the morning to remember, but now she did: She had questions for Marina.

_This has to have something to do with that question she asked me._

There was no doubt about it in mind. Nothing else out of the ordinary had happened in her recent memory. If there were any clues as to how or why this had happened, it would be from Marina. She would just have to stick with her plan for today and ask her after practice.

_"If there was someone close to you who was really unhappy, would you go out of your way to help them?"_

She had thought compulsively over these words the previous day to no avail, but the situation now provided fresh insights. By ending up in this world, that was certainly out of her way alright. So she was here to help someone close to her, who was really unhappy.

With her own reflection right in front of her in the bathroom mirror, Sayo had a pretty strong suspicion she understood just what Marina had meant now. She just had to confirm the how and the why later. But logically speaking, if she was only here to _help_, then surely it wasn't a permanent change, but a temporary one. That thought brought a sense of relief to her fevered mind.

As she finished up her morning routine, she paused to take a look at her now-brushed hair, falling just short of her shoulders. Surprisingly convenient, though she was too proud of her long hair to consider changing her hairstyle. But she wouldn't mind something like this for a change.

For the briefest of moments, she considered braiding it just as her world's Hina would, then snorted. Short hair was a nice change sure, but she wasn't that kind of girl. She was certain this world's Sayo didn't do that either, and raising unwanted attention didn't seem wise.

_Better go check in on Hina before she makes a complete mess out of the kitchen._

Nearing the kitchen, Sayo couldn't detect any strong smells at least, so that was a relief. Hina did things too perfectly to burn down the kitchen, but she did sometimes have a strange sense of what flavours were considered "boppin'". There was a short period of time Sayo had become nauseated just at the smell of vinegar, but she shared the blame for that one. It wasn't like she had to eat all of Hina's cooking, but how else was she supposed to spare the poor girl's feelings?

Turning the corner, she found a steaming cup of black coffee at her usual dining table seat, alongside a plate of perfectly sliced mini-sandwiches. The sandwiches were so evenly cut with their contents well distributed they wouldn't have looked amiss in a convenience store. Sayo was certain that if she measured each slice's dimensions, they would've fit the golden ratio.

"Sorry Onee-chan, I didn't have much time so this was all I could do..."

"Gods above, I want to adopt this Hina," Sayo muttered in jealousy.

"Onee-chan?.."

"Nothing, sorry." Taking a seat at the table, Sayo motioned for her little sister to take a seat as well, which she did so quietly with a hesitant smile.

Sayo quickly ran through her options. Should she pretend she was this world's Sayo? How much information could she eke out while disguising herself? Or should she just come clean with Hina about her suspicions? Would Hina think she was sick or crazy?

_No. I have to trust in Hina. I may not know what our relationship is like in this world, but it seems like the core essence of our personalities is still the same. Hina has always been interested in the strange and weird; she wouldn't outright deem it impossible._

"Hina, what I'm about to tell you is going to sound extremely strange and impossible. Will you promise to hear me out to the end?"

"Of course, Onee-chan! Anything you say!"

Sayo took a deep breath to steady her nerves. It was all or nothing now.

"I'm not the Hikawa Sayo you know. I- I don't know for sure, but I believe I'm from an alternate reality. The reason why I was pulling your hair earlier was because in my world, I'm the one with long hair and you're the one with the short haircut. I'm still the same person, but my memories don't align with this world in a lot of ways."

She watched as various emotions flickered past Hina's face once more, before it finally settled on a strange mixture of… what looked mostly like anger.

"Onee-chan, you don't have to lie just to fix things between us! I'll accept you no matter what!"

Sayo slapped her palm to her face, forcing herself to take another deep breath to calm herself before she snapped. _She's doing this because she loves you. It's a lot to take in for her, just stay calm._

"Okay Hina, listen. Have I ever lied to you? Do you really think I'm the sort of person who would come up with such a lie?"

"N- no, but… I dunno. It's real zappin' that we're talking again but what you're saying is just…"

"Okay. What can I tell you to convince you that I'm telling the truth?"

Finger to her chin, Hina pondered over the question for a while. "Hmm… If you really come from a different world, then how else is it different from this one?"

"I don't know how this world is like for the most part. But from what I've seen so far… well. In my world I was… I was dating Tsugumi-san." Sayo could feel her cheeks flushing from admitting it, especially to her own family.

"Tsugu-chan?! No way! How did you two even meet? Was it me? Was she also in the student council with me there? Tsugu-chan's boppin' for sure but hmm come to think of it she does fit you Onee-chan. But still, how, how?" Ever excitable, Hina's tension had gone through the roof with just a single revelation.

"Hina, calm down! It was… an act of fate, almost. I was going past Hazawa Coffee one day when I saw their poster for baking lessons. I attended one of them and Tsugumi-san was the one who guided me through the session."

"Woah! That's all sorts of boppin'! So you bake over there! What else is different?"

"Well, I was a lot closer to Roselia there… I am still in Roselia in this world, right?"

"Yep! The last time we sort of almost-talked you were yelling at me to not attend your lives! Hmm, something about someone possibly recognizing me in the audience?"

Sayo winced. Sure enough she had kind of done something similar back in her own world, but _yelling_ was taking it a bit far. Though back when she had done it herself, she had mostly just been worried someone would've recognized Hina in the audience. It was nowhere near safe for a popular idol to simply waltz into a mosh pit like that.

That was an interesting piece of information though. If this world's Sayo had been concerned about the same thing, did that mean she was concerned about Hina's safety too? So she didn't outright hate Hina, at least. Sayo filed it away in her mind as a theory that needed more supporting evidence.

"There's a lot of other things that seem to be missing, but it mostly seems like this world's Sayo… is not very friendly," Sayo grimaced. "I don't deny, I might have been the same myself at one point, but… a lot of things have happened over the past year. Things are different for me now."

Hina's excitement level dropped instantly, with the smile disappearing from her face. "Onee-chan, what… what was our relationship like back in your world?"

Sayo struggled with her answer, but couldn't find the right words to describe it. How could she simply summarise an entire history of pain, and a year of rapid growth and reconciliation into mere words?

Hina was her beloved sister, that had never changed. But the jealousy and self-hatred that plagued her had poisoned that relationship so terribly it was a miracle they had ever managed to fix it, let alone begin to recover that lost time.

"It was… better than this," she replied sorrowfully in the end. "Did we… make any promises in the past year?"

"Onee-chan, we… we haven't actually talked much in the past year. Things were still okay up until last June but then you got more withdrawn as time went by..."

_Dear gods, it's worse than I had thought. It's almost as though the past year hadn't happened._

"Well, aside from when you're yelling at me, but you always just say your piece and then disappear into your room…" Hina poked her index fingers together falteringly, her eyes starting to shine with unshed tears. "Mom says you still love me and just need more time to cope with things and it'll get better eventually, but…"

Sayo reached a shaky hand across the table, hesitantly settling it onto Hina's. It was uncharacteristic of her, but she didn't care. Even if it wasn't her fault, she still felt responsible for her little sister's hurt.

"I'm sorry, Hina. It must have been hard on you this whole time."

"Onee-chan!" Hina cried out as she leapt out of her seat to wrap her arms around Sayo. With Hina kneeling by her side and sobbing into her chest, all Sayo could do was wrap her own arms around her little sister.

"I- I'm not the Sayo you know, and you're not my Hina either. But you're still my little sister. So I'll make this promise with you right now: I'll do whatever I can to fix this. I don't think I'll be here for long, but before I leave…. I'll make things right. I promise."

Incapable of replying, Hina only tightened her hold and sobbed harder.

That warmth in her arms was all the reply Sayo needed.

* * *

After calming down, Hina had readily accepted that Sayo was telling the truth. Depressing as it sounded, she could tell there was no way this was the same girl she had been living with for the past year. In true Hina fashion, she had simply declared that out loud, much to Sayo's consternation.

_Forget my other self- Even I really was a terrible sister back then…_

"Hina. What do you know about alternate universes?"

"Hmm? What do you want to know Onee-chan?"

"Well in my world, you were the one who talked about it with Tsugumi-san, who was the one I heard this from the first time. I figured you would know more about it than I do."

"Hmm… I thought it was pretty easy to understand. I came across it in one of the astronomy club notebooks and thought it sounded boppin' so I looked it up online! Well the short of it is that each time you make a choice the world diverges into different possible realities. And sometimes it's not really choices either but could be random events that cause these splits."

"I guess I understood that part, more or less. So it's like a tree trunk that starts out as one path, and each branch leads into a different smaller branch with each choice."

"That's a simple way of looking at it Onee-chan! You're so clever! Though it's more like a web radiating out. The infinite possibilities can also join back together into same ones if choices cancel each other out."

"Well okay, I don't think I heard that part. So my next question is, what could cause someone to jump to an alternate reality?"

"Haha, that's funny Onee-chan! That's impossible!"

Sayo shot her little sister a dour look.

"Ehehe it's _supposed_ to be impossible. It's the realm of science fiction. If we knew how to do it, it would be a huge breakthrough!"

Sayo let out a long-suffering sigh and a grimace slipped onto her face. Maybe she had been betting too much on her sister's genius; it certainly was unfair to expect Hina would have the answers to everything.

She would have to hope her conversation with Marina would provide more answers. But for now, she had another task: her newfound promise.

"So, you said things were okay with us until a while back? What was it like before and what changed?"

"Well…"

…

It took her an hour of detailed questions (and redirection whenever Hina went off on one of her tangents) but Sayo finally understood their current family situation in this world.

To say that this world's Sayo was frigid was putting it lightly. Apparently she had hacked off her own hair with a pair of scissors, claiming she would rather be bald than be mistaken for Hina again. Harsh to say the least, but Sayo could remember and understand the emotions behind that. It hadn't been driven by hatred for Hina; the only hatred directed here was at herself.

Along the way she had also mentioned bits of her own world, to which Hina always replied with sparkling eyes of envy. It felt… unfair. So terribly unfair, that this world was as it was. Hina deserved so much more, and so did Sayo herself.

But did she really have the right to change things from how they were? Even if it was for the best, did she really have the right to determine just what was in the other Sayo's best interests?

It was something this world's Sayo would have to do herself, she decided. She could only guide, and hint at how much better the world could be with a little change, but that was all she was limited to. Beyond that was all down to the individual's will to change.

That said, morality questions were in no shortage here, Sayo quickly found as the conversation progressed. As it turns out the Hina here hadn't started dating Aya yet, though Hina did profess a strange sort of interest in the "pink-haired cry-baby" she herself didn't quite understand. Plus Aya had supposedly been acting strangely around her, sharing water-bottles and towels with her and her alone during practice… which Hina just laughed off as a weird quirk.

_For all her genius, Hina is possibly one of the densest girls in the world._

"Maybe you should ask her out," Sayo suggested hesitantly as she wondered if there was a universal code of alternate reality jumper ethics she was violating.

"Eh? But I already see her at practice all the time and all our other activities too."

"No not like that," Sayo mentally facepalmed, wondering just why she was giving her sister dating advice. "Like… ask her out on a weekend when neither of you are working. Just to go out."

"But what would we do then? That's strange Onee-chan!"

"You want to get to know her better right? So ask her to a restaurant you want to visit… or I don't know, get tapioca milk tea? Imai-san says it's all the rage right now, it would be good for your social media profiles, right?"

"Ooh! You're right Onee-chan! If we queue together for five hours to get tapioca milk tea there's bound to be lots of conversation happening and then I can get to know her better! Boppin'!"

"Yes, that should work…" Sayo mentally apologised to the Aya here for subjecting her to this sort of torture, but hopefully the two would enjoy it. Hopefully. Personally speaking, two hours was about her limit with Hina before she felt the urge to strangle her, but love was supposed to make people strange.

"Alright! I'll ask her later then! Say Onee-chan, do you have plans for later today?"

"Well I do have practice with Roselia in the afternoon, but I'm free until then."

"Zappin'! It's my turn now, I have tons of questions I want to ask you Onee-chan!"

Sayo glanced at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. She still had a couple of hours to spare if she left her homework for tonight instead, and it was… surprisingly easy to talk to Hina. Perhaps because this wasn't her Hina? Being a temporary visitor from another world, she didn't have the sense of long-term consequences hanging over her, and found it much easier to open up.

Smiling in amusement, Sayo took another sip of her coffee, and prepared herself to be the big sister the Hina here never had to this point.

"Ask away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter in the entire story, as it contains all the exposition for the setting. Other chapters will be more similar to the first two in length.
> 
> Thank you to everyone for the comments and speculation so far! I promise I read every one of them and I'm really appreciative for all your thoughts. I'm glad you all are enjoying it so far, do continue to let me know how you feel about the story!


	4. you'll gently save my heart; and within it

Sayo could feel the sun's rays bearing down on her as she slowly made her way to CiRCLE, guitar case on her back. For all the additional cooling provided by her now short hair, it had been a long walk to the studio, enough to cause sweat to bead on her forehead.

In the first place she did have a restless night, so her body wasn't at its peak condition as it was. But nowhere near enough for her to skip practice, just enough for her to be mildly annoyed at her own weakness.

It was with a sigh of relief when she finally stepped through CiRCLE's doors, with its air-conditioning providing sweet comfort to her senses. At least things were just as she remembered here. The same band posters on the walls, Marina and her assistant behind the counter, Yukina already here and poring over her sheet music…

"You're early today, Minato-san. Working on a new song?" Sayo greeted as she took a seat opposite the vocalist, who only looked up with a frown before replying with a terse nod of acknowledgement. The coldness of the gesture was oddly puzzling for a moment, before it struck Sayo that she might have been overly friendly for who she was supposed to be.

_Ugh. Being with Hina let my guard down… I forgot things are different in this world, anything I say could possibly out me if I'm not careful._

Until she had more details about exactly how long she was going to be here for, it was best she kept the pretence up instead of exposing her story everywhere. The last thing she needed was to be taken away by people in black suits to be… _examined_.

Deciding to back off from Yukina to avoid further complications, Sayo pulled out her homework and began chipping away at the questions. If her time was limited here, she wasn't about to procrastinate and leave the other Sayo with the burden of unfinished homework.

_Dear gods, I hope she's doing the same for me too back on my side. I wouldn't want to have to do these math questions twice._

Before long, the other members arrived, to which Sayo acknowledged with cold nods of her own despite how unnatural it felt. Still, no one seemed to pay it any mind, and they entered the studio without any problems.

_I just need to fool them through this session… then I can question Marina-san and find out what I need to know. It's just a three-hour practice… can't be that hard._

That hope went through the window the moment they finished their first run-through of Ringing Bloom, and Yukina glanced curiously at Sayo before declaring their next song.

"Let's try BLACK SHOUT next."

With a foot on her effector pedal and picking at the opening bars, Sayo could almost feel the gazes focused on her with her opening solo, though the rest of the members came in as usual. _I played this perfectly right, so there's no way this should stand out!.._

When the song ended however, the rest of them still burst into excitement.

"Sayo-san, that was amazingly cool at the start! You were like the impending doom of a boss fight!" Ako almost tumbled off her drummer stool with excitement, fumbling her sticks with how she was twirling them.

"Jeez Sayo, you should tell us if you want to try something new! That was surprising! But wow, it was really good!"

"Sayo. What was that just now?"

Cold sweat beading on her forehead despite the air-conditioning, Sayo put on her best impression of how she would have reacted, facing away angrily. "I just felt like changing it up a bit."

_I should… actually look at the sheet music. This Sayo never changed the opening to BLACK SHOUT from the original!_

The next hour felt like torture as Sayo continued her pretence, with each song seeming like another blow to her cover. Even though there weren't any more cases of her muscle memory being different from how this world played those songs, she could feel Yukina's stares through the corner of her eye. Things came to a head when Yukina finally called for the mid-session break.

Unslinging the guitar from her body with a sigh, Sayo caught Yukina and Lisa exchanging a frantic series of gestures and facial expressions she couldn't quite fully catch and definitely couldn't understand. Frowns, tilted eyebrows, gestures at the door and a thumb pointed backwards at Sayo… The unspoken exchange ended when Yukina spoke up.

"Lisa. I need your help. I need…" Yukina paused here, her eyebrows furrowing. "I need that thing."

Lisa's eyes widened like a deer in the headlights for a moment, before a lightbulb went off in her head. "Oh, you mean the honey lemon drink from the convenience store, right? Jeez, Yukina, you should've told me and I could've brought one before practice."

"Sorry. I don't think I can continue on without it."

"Hmm, but it's so far away…" Lisa frowned, before turning to the others. "Ako, Rinko, wanna keep me company on the way there?"

"Imai-san… if it's honey lemon… doesn't the CiRCLE café sell it as well?.."

"No no, Rinko, you don't understand, Yukina has very specific needs to keep her voice at peak condition. It has to be that brand."

"My apologies," Yukina conceded with a graceful bow.

Ako pouted as she hopped off her stool, putting her arms on her waist. "It's warm out there and I'm tired… Lisa-nee, I don't think I-"

"Come on Ako, it'll be like a quest! For the sake of Roselia!" Lisa overrode Ako's protests as she looped her elbow around Ako's, virtually strong-arming her to the door with Rinko in tow. "We'll be back in about ten minutes Yukina~"

When the studio door shut on the remaining two, Sayo turned her attention to Yukina. "I'm surprised that worked."

"To be honest, I don't believe Lisa has fully noticed it either, which was why it took that long to convince her to help leave us alone."

_That long? Minato-san, you two practically had an unspoken conversation for only about five seconds._

"That said, we don't have much time, so I'll cut to the chase." Yukina continued as she strode right up to Sayo with her arms crossed. "You're not Hikawa Sayo… But you're not Hina either. Who are you?"

Exhaling slowly, Sayo placed her guitar down on its stand. "As expected from Minato-san, nothing ever escapes you."

"Not when it comes to music, no. But allow me to rephrase. I do believe you're Sayo but… not the Sayo we know. Does that make any sense?"

Sayo blinked in astonishment. "This is remarkably easier to explain than I thought. You could tell that from the music?"

"It was… a fuller version of what you usually play. The music had a sound that was distinctly yours. Beyond the precision, there was colour and warmth. Determination Symphony was particularly telling."

Memories of the autumn rain, and a pair of umbrellas came unbidden to Sayo's mind. There was no point hiding her story from someone who could already tell that much.

_Minato-san is reliable enough that I can trust her. And with what she just said, I’m certain she would believe my story, outlandish as it may be._

"I'm Hikawa Sayo, but from an alternate reality," she blurted out. "I only just woke up here this morning, but I came from a reality where a lot more happened and I was a lot closer to everyone there than I am here, apparently."

Yukina blinked once, twice, and the silence felt heavy as Sayo's words trailed off into the air.

"You do understand the only reason I'm not calling Lisa and bringing you to a doctor is because I've just heard you play."

"I know it sounds impossible… but it's the truth."

"I believe you. The Sayo we know is incapable of playing such a fulfilled sound."

"Minato-san, I know it's not me we're talking about, but it still hurts to hear that. "

"Then think of it in reverse instead, you're clearly playing much better than you used to. Is this change permanent? What are your plans?"

Sayo bit at her lip, nervous at the reminder that she actually didn't have much of a plan. "I think it's temporary. I don't have a lot of clues to work with at the moment, but I believe Marina-san holds the answers. I was going to talk to her after practice."

"I see… We don't know your circumstances, so let's work on the assumption this is the only time we will ever get to speak." Yukina cast a quick glance at the clock on the wall. "What was different for you, Sayo?"

"Huh?" Thrown off by Yukina's sudden question, Sayo couldn't follow the vocalist's thoughts.

"You said things were different for you between your own reality and this one, right? What changed? What caused you to create such a fulfilled sound?" Yukina's piercing eyes gazed deep into Sayo's own, her very demeanour shifting.

Sayo frowned. "I don't know if it was even anything specific. From what I discussed with Hina this morning, things seemed to be mostly the same all the way until last year… but a lot happened for me over the past year. With Roselia, with Hina, with Tsugumi-san…"

Yukina raised an eyebrow at the last part, but made no mention of it. "The music does speak of huge changes to your character, and I suppose it wouldn't have been any one event that triggered it. What should we do to the original Sayo?"

"Do to her?.."

"To get her to where you are, Sayo. How do we do that?"

Frustrated at the interrogation, Sayo snapped. "Is that what all this is about? You just want this world's Sayo to be a better musician for the sake of Roselia?"

The fire that abruptly lit in Yukina's eyes told Sayo she couldn't have been more wrong, and she almost expected the smaller girl to reach up and strangle her at that moment. Still, it was certainly enough pressure to push her a step back hesitantly.

"If you really think that's what this is about, then maybe I've overestimated your growth in the other world, Sayo."

"I.. I'm sorry, Minato-san. That was uncalled for. It's just been a really stressful day."

Yukina took a step back herself, turning to face the studio where their instruments stood on their stands.

"You were there alongside me from the start, forming Roselia from nothing. So you know how much this group means to me. Like you said, a lot happened over the past year. I saw Ako drag Lisa and I into Neo Fantasy Online. I watched as Lisa tried her best to write lyrics to support Roselia in her own way. I supported Rinko as she put her sewing skills to use to support the Drama Club. I saw even myself changing at Toconut Park, struggling to understand more about this band of mine not just as bandmates, but as friends.

"But I never saw any of that happen to the Hikawa Sayo we knew. She remained closed off to us. Practice, day in and out. Her notes remain just as precise as her arrows, but every bit as lifeless. So if you're asking whether it's to make her a better musician, then yes. But only because that is an inevitable result of the true goal, to see her grow in the same way the rest of us are doing."

Yukina paused in her tirade, her shoulders slumping. "There's such a deep sorrow in her eyes, Sayo. Lisa and I both tried speaking to her but we could never get through. Ako and Rinko are too terrified to try, but I can see their worry as well. When I first heard you today, it was almost like a miracle. Talking to you like this is absolutely unbelievable."

Sayo sank into a nearby seat, burying her face in her hands. "If this other me missed out on all that in this world… I really don't know, Minato-san. I really don't know where to begin."

Silence fell over the studio, precious seconds ticking away as the two struggled to understand the complexity of the problem before them.

_I promised this world’s Hina that I would do something… but I’m still so powerless in the end. If even Minato-san and Imai-san have been trying… just what could possibly get through to her?_

It was Yukina who broke the gloom once more. "Then we're looking at it the wrong way, and there isn't anywhere to begin."

"What do you mean?"

"It's been a long year, and this year has made all the difference for you. But that is no reason to fruitlessly try and reclaim the lost time. All our paths are different, even hers and yours. There is no need to forcibly replicate what happened to you to her."

"But then things will continue the way they are!" Sayo could feel the despair seeping into her voice.

"Sayo. A year ago, could you have imagined what would happen to you to make you change so?"

Sayo thought back on her memories: the sound of pouring autumn rain, sweet smells of butter and vanilla, huddled warmth amidst cold winter winds upon the school rooftop... And shook her head.

"None of us can tell what the future has in store for us. But meeting you today, has given me hope. You've shown me that all of us can change, and she is no exception. It may not be right away or any time soon, but you're living proof that with the right catalyst, with the right experiences, Sayo will be able to open up and heal. And that is enough for me."

The weight of Yukina's words sank into her mind, and all Sayo could feel was an incredible sense of humility to be on the receiving end of such emotions.

"… Don't give up on me, Minato-san. That's all I can ask of you."

"I promise you, Sayo. So long as Roselia exists, we will not give up on her. We'll always be waiting and trying, until the day I can talk to her just like this."

Unable to say anything else, Sayo just bowed as low as she could.

_I never knew… I never knew the depth of Minato-san's concern for us was this intense…!_

The studio door thrust open with a launching sound, almost careening off its hinges. "The great Demon Princess Ako and her fearsome party returns from the quest with the spoils of victory!"

Practically bouncing into the room, Ako's entrance was promptly followed by Rinko and Lisa, who entered in a much more subdued and normal manner. At the very least, the drummer's exuberant entry had caused enough ruckus for Sayo to straighten up and return her face to its stoic demeanour without anyone noticing.

"Here you go, Yukina~" Lisa handed a yellow bottle to Yukina, who promptly uncapped it and took a sip.

Yukina blanched, turning her nose up as she examined the bottle. "Lisa. This isn't what I asked for."

"Eh, it's fine, isn't it? I forgot what I was even supposed to get actually," Lisa pondered as she scrunched her eyes to try and recall. "I mean, lemon’s good for the throat right…"

"Didn't you say… Minato-san had… very specific needs?.." Rinko murmured timidly, but her question was so soft almost no one caught it, and those who did ignored it pointedly.

"You said you were getting me honey lemon, this is just lemon tea!" Yukina complained in indignation.

"This isn't just any lemon tea, it's Afternoon Tea brand lemon tea! It's perfect for the afternoons and one of our bestsellers at the convenience store. The mild hint of lemon is a perfect blend with the sweetness of the fragrant tea they use."

"Ooh, Lisa-nee is in full salesperson mode now."

Lisa folded her arms in defence of the sanctity of her drink. "It's a good brand! I would totally become a spokesperson for their tea if they asked."

Rinko tilted her head, chiming in once more. "You mean… like a collab?"

"Like a collab! We could have Yukina sing a song to promote their tea. And then we could get samples of their tea to hand out to our fans at our events. It'll be great! We could even get the other bands in on it too!"

Unable to keep her amusement suppressed, Sayo let out a snort with a wry smile on her face, causing Ako and Rinko to stare at her as though she was an alien.

Yukina however, just smiled gently. "Let's get back to practice, shall we?"

Deciding to just keep the smile on her face instead of forcing it off, Sayo nodded.

"Let's continue."

\----

"_These days filled with colours and shapes unknown to us,_  
_They become bonds I wouldn't trade for anything._"

Yukina's voice trailed off into silence, and the instruments followed shortly after.

"Let's stop here for today, and meet again tomorrow. Lisa, the booking was already done right?"

Lisa nodded as she unslung her bass, wiping it down with a cloth for storage. "Yep, we’re already booked for the whole of next week~"

Yukina turned to face Sayo, smile on her face. "Sayo. I hope to hear this level of performance from you again."

Catching the unspoken meaning behind it, Sayo bowed austerely. _It'll happen again someday, Minato-san. We'll make sure of it._

"Yeah you were great today Sayo-san!"

"I really enjoyed… your playing, Hikawa-san."

“Thank you,” Sayo nodded back. “You two were really good today as well. Especially you, Udagawa-san, your timing was impeccable today.”

“Fufufu. With my Guiding Hand of Darkness, such a feat is nothing to me~ With my drumming and everyone else’s awesome skills, we shall all bloom as noble roses upon the peak, and all our fans shall be trapped by our music in a violet… uhh…”

“Eternity, Ako-chan,” Rinko supplied helpfully from next to her keyboard.

“Eternity!” Ako finished with a flourish, raising a drumstick with her left arm high into the air.

"Ah, it's already this late!" Lisa yelped as she began stuffing her papers away hurriedly. "Yukina, we gotta go now for our reservation at the cat café!

The vocalist jumped as her eyes flickered between the door and Sayo, seemingly torn between the two.

_Go,_ Sayo nodded solemnly. _I'll be fine._

With a weight in her gaze, Yukina nodded back, and followed Lisa out the door.

_I still don't know how to get back to my world, but I get the feeling that as Minato-san said, that was our only chance to speak. I hope it was enough._

"Ohhh! I forgot I was supposed to help Onee-chan with dinner tonight or else she won’t buy me that pair of cat-ear gaming headphones! Rinrin, I'll see you online later! See you tomorrow Sayo-san!" Like a hurricane, Ako fled the premises even faster than the previous two had.

Leaving just Rinko and Sayo.

_Group situations are easy enough for me to keep my mouth shut, but in a one-on-one situation I have no way of knowing how this world's Sayo would react… Best find a way to part from Shirokane-san as soon as possible._

"Shall we make our way back then, Shirokane-san?"

"… Yes," came the hesitant reply.

_She sounds just as reluctant to be alone with me. Dear gods, Hikawa Sayo, what have you done to your social life... At least this should make it easy._

As the two stepped out into the CiRCLE lobby, Sayo turned to Rinko, preparing to make her excuse. "Shirokane-san, I actually have something I need to check with Marina-san, so you should go on ah-"

"Rin-chan?" a voice cut in across them, and Sayo whipped her head around to find a tall androgynous girl, carrying a small black case.

_Not sure how I missed seeing her approach us, but this girl could give Seta-san a run for her money, especially with that hair. And that case… is that a violin? _

In response, Rinko only gasped, and whispered a name Sayo barely caught. But judging by the light in her eyes, at least it was a positive and not a negative response.

Nodding to Rinko and the stranger, Sayo made her exit from the situation, heading for the counter where Marina was instead. _Not sure who that was, but that was a lucky break for me. Time to get some answers._

"Sayo-chan! Wow it's good to see you," Marina greeted as she straightened up from where she had been poring over a laptop. "Your other members fled out of here without even stopping by, I thought something had happened…"

"No, they were just rushing off for their own matters," Sayo replied, suddenly unsure of how to proceed. In the first place, was she even sure Marina had anything to do with this?

"What's the matter, Sayo-chan? You don't look so good."

"Nothing, I just…" Deciding to roll with it, Sayo seized the opportunity to redirect the conversation. "Actually, maybe you're right; I might be feeling a little off."

"Oh dear, that's not good. In what way?"

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure. I was hoping you could tell me, Marina-san." Locking eyes with Marina, Sayo smiled hesitantly.

Marina looked at Sayo oddly. "I'm not sure what you mean, Sayo-chan. But I'm sure that if you go home and sleep it off, everything will be fine the next day."

_Did that… just not line up? _Sayo decided to probe further.

"Marina-san, you… you know what's wrong, right?"

The warm smile that appeared on Marina's face didn't quite seem to reach her eyes. "Again, Sayo-chan, I'm certain that if you go home and sleep it off, everything will be back to normal the next day. So if there's anything you want to do, maybe you should do it before going to bed."

_That's about as direct an answer as I'm going to get. _Sayo quickly decided to back off, the steely gaze on Marina's face was unlike anything she had ever seen from the gentle woman.

"I see. Sorry to bother you, Marina-san," she nodded as she took a step away, thinking about everything she had learned so far. It had been a pretty taxing day, but at least she knew it was coming to an end soon.

That said, she did feel like she had learned a lot about herself- not just this world's Sayo, but herself as in her own interactions with the people in her life, and how much they mattered to her.

She turned back to Marina just as she reached the doors leading out. "Marina-san… Thanks."

This time, the smile she got in response was very much genuine.

"You're welcome, Sayo-chan!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omake:
> 
> "Lisa, I need your help. I need... I need that thing."
> 
> "That- here? Now? In front of everyone?" Lisa flushed red. "Wow, Yukina, I didn't know you were into that..."
> 
> "No! Not that thing! That other thing!" Yukina yelled back, equally beet red in the face.
> 
> "Rinrin, what's Lisa-nee and Yukina-san talking about?.."
> 
> "I think... it's too early for you to know, Ako-chan."
> 
> \---
> 
> And yes I love Kirin's Afternoon Tea brand for their red tea, milk tea and lemon tea- I drink it even in the mornings, rules are for schmucks. The Afternoon Tea x Garupa collab is simultaneously the oddest and best thing to have ever happened.
> 
> (Also added a background OC as part of the plot and a discussion point for the next chapter so don't worry too much about who it is, they don't show up again.)


	5. these days filled with colours and shapes unknown to us

"Are you coming next Thursday? I'm totally gonna catch Afterglow's next live, they're sooooo amazing, especially with that drummer and how-"  
"Senpai, thank you for helping me with my homework! I was really troubled over those questions-"  
"Sorry, I can't make it for practice next Saturday. That's the day of Marmalade's final live, I'm not missing that for anything in the-"

The sounds of random conversations in the background washed over Sayo as she emerged into the fading sunlight, with CiRCLE's cafeteria seemingly rowdier than usual. Now that the sun was almost setting, it was a lot more crowded once the worst of the afternoon heat had passed.

_So, I only have today…_

Now that she knew the extent of her time here, it suddenly felt awfully limited. What else could she find out? What could she do to help this world's Sayo?

Pondering over the questions, she almost missed the soft greeting of "Hikawa-san" from a table she passed.

Turning around, Sayo found Rinko sitting alone, purse on the table. There was a quiet discomfort in her eyes that Sayo had learned to spot, one which indicated that something was gnawing away at her but she couldn't express. For that matter, the fact that she was just sitting here alone was a little worrying.

"Shirokane-san? I thought you were still in there with your friend," Sayo questioned.

If anything, the mention of her friend only seemed to stir Rinko's discomfort even more, as indicated by her slumping shoulders. "No, she was… in a rush…"

_I shouldn't pry too much and it's definitely going to blow my cover… but I can't possibly leave Shirokane-san alone here like this._

With a suppressed sigh, Sayo cursed her meddling self. "You mind if I sit here for a while with you? You look like you need someone to talk to."

"Ah… Not at all. But you don't have to, Hikawa-san…"

Placing her guitar case by the side, Sayo took a seat. "It's alright, I didn't have much planned anyway. Who was that girl earlier?"

"She was… a childhood friend of mine. I haven't really seen her… since we were kids. "

"Oh? That's a good thing isn't it, meeting again after so long?"

Rinko nods. "Seeing her again… made me happy."

"But?"

The guilt returned to the forefront of Rinko's face. "We used to attend music school together… But one day she just… stopped attending lessons. And I never saw her again until today…"

"I see… so you found out what happened to her?"

"She said she gave up… because I was too good compared to her." Rinko buried her face in her hands. "I liked it when the adults praised me... but I never considered how she felt..."

Unsure what to say, Sayo decided to let the conversation steep for a while, watching as Rinko huddled in on herself further. She didn't know all the details of the situation, but she did know how much the piano meant to Rinko. So Sayo could understand the guilt wracking the poor girl at the moment, at the thought that she had forced someone else to give up something like that.

"I… I think you're being too hard on yourself, Shirokane-san. It's not your fault."

"I know but…" Trailing off, Rinko cast her gaze away to the bushes at their side, unable to meet Sayo's eyes.

"It's an easy trap to blame yourself for the negative things, but everyone makes their own choices," Sayo began, fumbling around wildly in her head for the words to say. "She made her choice herself, and you did nothing wrong to cause that.”

A long time ago, this might have been a concept Sayo wouldn’t have understood. But now she did. Having seen how much pain her own actions had caused Hina, these were the words she would’ve wanted her little sister to hear back then. Misguided as it was, her choices had been her own, and she never would have wanted to drag anyone down with her negativity.

“Besides, she's now found a reason to begin playing again. At least she didn't give up music, right?"

Sayo's argument seemed to be making headway with Rinko, though the guilt still lingered on her face. "I just… feel bad."

"That's alright. I can't imagine anyone would feel good after hearing something like that. But again, it's not your fault, Shirokane-san. And the fact that this is causing you this much agony is a sign of what a good friend you are."

Blushing, Rinko looked down and murmured, "I just hope… I can play with her again."

"Did you try talking to her about that?"

"We didn't have time… but we did exchange phone contacts."

Sayo felt a wry smile on her face. "Maybe you should just tell her what you think, Shirokane-san."

_Ironic that I should be the one to say this, when I'm no better at being honest with my own feelings._

"I don't think… I can."

_Even if they were close once, it's been so long, plus if Shirokane-san herself was the reason this girl gave up music… Shirokane-san has always been bad with confrontations._

It only took a few seconds of thought, but the answer was obvious all along. "Then maybe you could invite her to listen to you play?"

"I'm… sorry?" Rinko's brows furrowed in confusion, lost at what Sayo was suggesting.

"It's why you started enjoying playing the piano in the first place, isn't it? Because you could express with music what you couldn't express with words. I'm certain if you play for her, she will understand what you're trying to get across."

Her eyes widening, it was like the negative emotions were being lifted off Rinko in that moment. "Oh… You might be right there, Hikawa-san."

Sayo nodded approvingly. "Just give it a try, you never know how things will work out."

"Thank you… for listening to me." A slight pause, as Rinko tilted her head questioningly. "But I don't think I ever told you… why I started playing the piano?"

Cursing mentally, Sayo thought back to where she had learned that piece of information, during Rinko's entry into the piano contest earlier that year. _Of course this world's Sayo wouldn't have known anything that personal!_

"Well, it was just… a guess, based on how I see you perform. My apologies for being presumptuous."

"Not at all, Hikawa-san… You were perfectly right," Rinko smiled, a tinge of red on her cheeks. "Thank you anyway for your idea and for talking to me… You were of great help to me today."

"No problem. I hope that… you can also be my strength in the future when the situation calls for it."

_There'll be a lot of those situations, Shirokane-san. I'm counting on you._

In response, Rinko reached across and placed her hand on top of Sayo's in her lap.

"I'm not as dependable as you, Hikawa-san… But I'll do my best."

* * *

The setting sun painted the town in a vivid red, as Sayo found herself standing outside Hazawa Coffee with its flowering potted plants. Staring at the worn but well-maintained sign hanging over the door, she pursed her lips pensively.

_I ended up coming here after all, huh…_

Back in her world she had promised to stop by and see Tsugumi today, but this promise certainly wouldn't have existed in a world where the two didn't even know each other. But still, she couldn't keep herself from wanting to see how this version of the girl was doing. Was everything the same? Or were there minor differences here too, especially since they weren't dating?

Was she even ready for the answer to those questions? If Tsugumi was dating someone else in this world, finding out might just about break her heart.

Steeling herself, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The familiar smell of coffee washed over her, along with the sounds of soft conversation and the occasional fork scraping against a plate. It was… odd, almost. Everything was as she remembered it, even though she knew it wasn't the same.

That sense of incongruency only grew when the server she knew all too well called out to her. "Welcome! Ah, you're… Hikawa-san, right?"

Sayo swallowed the lump in her throat, turning to face her not-girlfriend. "Yes. I'm surprised you know me."

"Oh, Ako-chan talks about the members of Roselia a lot, so we hear about you all from time to time. I’m Hazawa Tsugumi, by the way! Would you be here alone today, or?.."

"Just myself, thank you." Sayo resisted the urge to ogle Tsugumi in her waitress outfit- she always did have a thing for the homely apron she had on with her white shirt.

"Let me show you to a seat then, this way please!"

Following behind her, Sayo frowned as Tsugumi led her to her usual table against the wall of the café, near the back. _This is… just a coincidence, right?_

"Here's the menu," Tsugumi chirped brightly as she placed it on the table. "I'll be back to take your order when you're ready so take your time to browse."

"I'll have a black coffee, and a slice of whichever cake you baked today."

Busy with putting her guitar delicately against the wall behind her seat as she always did, the words were out of Sayo's mouth before she even realised it. It was her usual order, the same she had every single time she stopped by Hazawa Coffee ever since the two started dating…

There was nothing usual about this order at all!

"U- understood! I'll be right back" Taking the menu back in her hands, Tsugumi quickly vanished behind the counter into the kitchen. Sayo could almost see the steam spouting out of the girl's ears.

Yeah, if there really was a universal code of alternate reality jumper ethics, Sayo was going to court for war crimes.

Slumping into her chair, she rubbed at her temples. Coming here might have been the biggest mistake she had made today. Seeing Tsugumi when their relationship here was entirely different made it extremely hard for her brain to process things. It was taking all she had to act as normally as she could, and even then she was slipping up whenever she let her guard down.

_Should I leave? No, that would just make a bad impression which isn't what I want either. But then again, just what am I doing here? What could I possibly hope to achieve?_

_This world's Sayo has to make her own choices. But I can certainly open up options for her._

Nodding in determination, Sayo waited patiently for the other girl to return. It only took another few minutes before she could spot Tsugumi reemerging from behind the counter with a tray heading her way.

"Here you go, Hikawa-san!" Tsugumi smiled brightly as she placed the cake first on the table. "Today's special is red velvet cheesecake."

"Thank you, Tsugumi-san."

There was an audible rattle as the cup of coffee shook on the saucer Tsugumi was about to place down, but the skilled waitress deftly recovered without spilling a drop.

Sayo mentally facepalmed as she realised her mistake in addressing the girl that casually, but kept her face as straight as possible. _I literally cannot open my mouth around this girl without messing up._

"You're welcome, Hi- Sayo-san." Placing down a warm towel and a glass of water, Tsugumi took a small step back but continued waiting there with the tray pressed to her chest.

Conscious of the girl's eyes on her, Sayo was briefly confused for a moment before realising just what Tsugumi was waiting for. Hurriedly wiping her hands with the provided towel, she took the fork and lifted a morsel of the cake to her mouth.

She could hear the nervousness in Tsugumi's breathing, as the mild sweetness mixed with the aroma of cheese in her mouth. _Alternate universe it may be, but Tsugumi-san is still the same person through and through._

"This is really good, Tsugumi-san," she offered with her usual mild smile.

Happiness lit up on the brunette's face. "Thank you, Sayo-san! Uhm, sorry if I'm prying too much, but how did you know I bake the cakes?.."

_You help bake the cakes every weekend. You have about fourteen staple recipes you switch between depending on the season, though you experiment with new ones roughly once a month. On those days you bake two types of cakes just in case it messes up, and there tends to be leftovers which you bring to school on Monday for the rest of Afterglow._

"Uh, Udagawa-san recommended your café and mentioned your cakes were really good, so I thought I should come give it a try."

"I see! Haha, you just caught me by surprise earlier, since I haven't seen you in here before. Is it your first time to our café?"

_It's my thirtieth._ "That's right." Sayo could feel the heat gathering in her ears. She had never been a good liar, and lying to Tsugumi of all people was… highly discomforting.

_I don’t want to lie to Tsugumi-san of all people, but there’s no way I can drop such an insane story on our first meeting without it sounding like the strangest pickup line ever._

"Oh! Thank you very much for stopping by then! I hope you enjoy your visit, and do let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!"

"As a matter of fact, there is," Sayo grasped at the chance. "I saw one of the posters outside earlier, but is your store still holding baking lessons?"

"Yep! We hold them once a month and this month's session is actually just next Saturday. Could it be you're interested, Sayo-san?" Tsugumi tilted her head cutely, her charming smile dealing critical damage to Sayo's heart.

"I might be, if it can help me bake cakes as delicious as this one," Sayo gestured at the slice of red velvet cheesecake before her. "I'm new to baking though, would you teach me during that day?"

Tsugumi's cheeks flushed red. "The sessions are held by my mom and I, but I'll be sure to keep a close eye on you Sayo-san! I'll sign you up for next week's session then!"

"Thank you, that would be very much appreciated. Let me just put that into my schedule as well… there."

Silence fell between the pair, and Sayo sneaked a glance at the rest of the café from the corner of her eye. It seemed like business had quietened down, with most of the patrons having left for home for dinner. The fading sunlight was barely visible now, and the streetlights outside had already come on.

After taking a look around the café herself to ensure there were no waiting patrons and the other waitresses had things under control, Tsugumi spoke up once more in a much more subdued voice. "Sayo-san, this… might sound a bit weird, but this is our first time meeting, right?"

"I…Yes." Sayo blinked in astonishment. Was Tsugumi sensing something? Could she tell that it wasn't?

But Tsugumi only laughed nervously, holding up the tray defensively once again. "Haha sorry, I just had this strange sense of déjà vu I couldn't shake off. Sorry for disturbing you like this…"

She had already achieved all she could and should do here, but Sayo couldn't quite stop herself from wanting more. "No, not at all. You must be tired after a long shift. The café looks empty for now, why don't you take a seat and join me for a while?"

The delightful smile she got in return eased her heart, letting her know that one way or another, things would work themselves out.

"Thank you, Sayo-san. I think I'd like that very much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rinko. Sometimes I worry about the amount of ellipses I have to use for her speech, since it looks unnatural. But when I remove them, they sound unnatural in my head instead, so it's just a necessary feature of her speech patterns.
> 
> I know people who ship RinkoSayo but never could really get into it myself, so it won't be something I'll write heavily. But I think that's the beauty of alternate universes. Even if you have a main pairing, you can explore other possible ones in another universe.
> 
> SayoTsugu though, it's always cute writing about them. Soft romance compared to the hard grit that makes up Sayo's life. I think I do okay in writing that softer part out, but I also feel I don't do enough to bring out Tsugumi's essence... Would be an interesting challenge someday to see if I could write a stronger Tsugumi, but I admittedly do not read enough of her stories to do so just yet. And yes, I'm perpetually using the same callback line.
> 
> Thanks again for the comments and kudos so far! Story is on track with what I had expected it to be; I really loved writing this piece and I'm glad everyone's liking it this far too. The last two updates will be great I promise, so look forward to it.


	6. they become bonds I wouldn't trade for anything

Placing down her pen onto her desk with a sigh of relief, Sayo took a deep breath. It had been a god-awful long quest, but the raid boss that was her Math homework had finally been slain.

And her reward was… well, nothing in particular, really. The freedom to do her real work now, perhaps.

All things considered, it spoke volumes about her personality that she could still find the gumption to complete her homework in a situation like this. Most people would've just given up on such mundane matters, using the excuse that it was a special case. But not Hikawa Sayo. She had a schedule, and she was committed to it.

Resisting the urge to just lie down onto her bed, she thought back to a couple of hours prior.

Dinner earlier had been a rushed affair, given how late she had come back from Hazawa Coffee. Just an apology to their parents, and curry reheated in the microwave. As she chewed slowly, Hina sat across the table the whole time, chattering about the day she had.

…

_"Hina, I need to tell you something. This thing… I’ll be gone after tonight."_

_"Mm, I sort of got the feeling that was the case."_

_"… Will you be alright?"_

_"What are you talking about, Onee-chan?" Hina only laughed, complete confidence and happiness in her eyes. "You promised things will be alright, remember?"_

_Faced with that, Sayo could only smile in response. "… Yeah. I guess things will be alright."_

…

Pushing her chair back from her desk, Sayo leaned her head against its back, eyes to the ceiling.

With the silence of the night as her only companion, she reflected on her day thus far.

It was something she had already noticed earlier at CiRCLE during her conversation with Marina, but she was certain now this whole experience wasn't just for this world's Sayo.

It was also for her.

Not everything was the same in this world, but enough of it was. Coming to this world, a world where her bonds with the people around her seemingly didn't exist, it only served to highlight just how important they were to her.

Before today, she had held great confidence in her own independence. But when she had woken up this morning, there had been nothing more confusing, more terrifying than finding herself alone and cut adrift. No friends to rely on, and even her own family situation had been a wreck.

At that point she had been drowning in turmoil, but by now she could recognize just how precious each and every connection was.

And as the day went on, she had also learned just how those bonds weren't missing here, only lying dormant. And with the slightest of touch, they had started to blossom into the same ones she had in her own world.

It was almost enough to make her cry, just how much she was surrounded by these warm hearts that showered her in unconditional love. Back in her world, they were kindred souls that had helped her grow in many ways, who had stood by her at critical junctures along her journey. Hina had been the greatest example of someone who always waited for her to catch up, but she had also been shown that same kindness by so many others around her as well.

And in this world, those same people had always been waiting, hoping for her to open up even though all this world's Sayo did was rebuff them coldly.

She couldn't have imagined it, that such selfless care for others could actually exist, had she not seen it herself.

That was why she couldn't let this situation continue any longer.

Picking up her pen and a fresh sheet of paper, Hikawa Sayo began the most important task she had been sent here for: To connect with the self she would never meet.

She knew she only had one shot at this.

It would be enough.

> _Dear Hikawa Sayo,_
> 
> _If there's any signs that Hina has read this letter while you were sleeping, feel free to murder her. But you and I both know she won't. She loves us too much for that._
> 
> _(But on the off chance you are indeed reading this, Hina, put this down this instant or we're never speaking to you again.)_
> 
> _We're not much for niceties, so I'll just cut to the chase. You and I both know the situation. Maybe you're confused. Maybe you're jealous. Maybe you're angry._
> 
> _But since we’re the same person, I know you’re mostly upset. And not just at anyone, but yourself._
> 
> _If any bit of my world seemed better than yours, then I'll tell you this much. Having spent a day here, your world has every potential to be just as great, and maybe even better._
> 
> _I don't have the right to tell you how to live your life. Your choices are your own to make. But even so… even so, I want to share with you the things that changed my life. And hopefully they can change yours, too._
> 
> _So here's a quick list of everything that's different between your world and mine, and what led to it._

Even scribbling quickly, it took almost half an hour for Sayo to pen down a quick history of everything that had taken place over the last year. Not all of it was perfect, and her own memories were perhaps unreliable, but it was a decent enough outline of everything she had learned over this time.

She smiled as she ran her eyes over it again. It had been… an eventful year, to say the least.

Biting her lip, she also added a quick summary of what she had talked about with Rinko and Tsugumi today, along with the promised baking lesson appointment. It wouldn't do for the other Sayo to show up completely clueless about their conversations. As for Hina and Yukina, they were already in the know, so that was fine.

Besides, she might die of embarrassment if she had to commit to paper just how open she had been with Hina today. She had really thrown all caution to the wind for that one. Hopefully the other Sayo hadn't done the same to her.

_What else to write…_

It didn't feel quite enough just yet. All she had done was list facts of what had happened. And while facts were probably what would convince her the best, it felt… lacking.

Even if this world's Sayo followed her instructions as they were and made her world a little better, it would be like a student rote-memorizing a mathematical formula and applying it without really understanding the theory behind it. It would only get her so far, until she encountered new situations that she wasn’t ready for.

No, what was missing from this letter was the very thing that separated the two Sayos. The result of her growth. But how could she word something like that?

Sayo leaned back once more, this time staring out the window. Her eyes glazing over, she looked out into the dark night beyond the glass, into the dim stars and distant galaxies.

She thought of her family.

She thought of her band members.

She thought of her schoolmates.

She thought of acquaintances she had come to know, one way or another.

And she thought of Tsugumi.

She thought of all these people, and how intertwined their fates were in her own world. How every encounter was a miracle, and how each meeting was once in a lifetime.

She thought of her own place in the vast, wide world, and just what she could offer it.

Turning back to the letter, she finished writing it and then sealed it.

Switching off the lights, Sayo sank into her bed, feeling at peace with herself and with the world. She knew she would never really know the result of her work here, but that was fine.

In the end, Hikawa Sayo was Hikawa Sayo. She wouldn't let herself down.

* * *

Dawn came early for the Hikawa household, with Sayo waking up beneath her green striped blanket from the chirping of the birds outside. Sitting upright, she yawned as she stretched languidly, feeling more well-rested than she had in ages. Her mind slowly waking up in turn, she felt the pit of her stomach drop when she remembered the events of the past day.

She immediately shook her head to clear her sleepiness, though she still felt a little out of it.

Examining her room in what little sunlight that seeped through her blackout curtains, Sayo nodded as she confirmed that she was indeed back in her own world.

Next up, she dived for her phone on her bedside table, rapidly checking through it.

Sunday. So either she had slept for an entire day, or the events she had experienced had been entirely real.

Seven missed calls, from various members of Roselia and Tsugumi.

_Hikawa Sayo, really now? Did you seriously just stay at home the entire day? Are you sure we're the same person?_

She opened the Roselia chat.

> **Yukina**: Sayo, where are you.
> 
> **Yukina**: Sayo?
> 
> **Lisa**: Hope you're alright, Sayo! No worries about missing practice, just let us know if everything is okay alright?
> 
> **Yukina**: Sayo I expect a good explanation for this.
> 
> **Ako**: OMG did sayo-san just bluetick us
> 
> **Rinko**: ((((；゜Д゜)))

Sayo could feel a shiver run down her spine even from the text alone. Dealing with Yukina's wrath was not something she looked forward to.

Typing a quick message in, she tried her best to defuse the situation.

> **Sayo**: My apologies, I came down with a bout of food poisoning yesterday and was completely unconscious with the medication I had. I'm sorry to make everyone worry, and I'll see you at practice tomorrow.

Good thing she had learned to lie while she was in the other world. Well, a little bit at least. Whether Yukina would figure her out again was tomorrow's problem.

And now, her chat with Tsugumi…

> **Tsugumi**: Sayo-san, I guess you must have been busy today! Hope everything is fine!
> 
> **Tsugumi**: Sorry if I disturbed your rest with the call! I was talking to Hina-senpai earlier and she said you were down with food poisoning, but you were doing much better after sleeping it off. I hope you're feeling better now! I'll come visit you tomorrow okay? <3

_Looks like we came up with the same excuse. I guess we are indeed the same person after all._

> **Sayo**: My apologies for not replying yesterday. I look forward to seeing you later- I have a lot to talk to you about.

Almost setting the phone down, Sayo took one more look at the screen and smiled to herself.

> **Sayo**: <3

Climbing out of bed, she opened her curtains and stretched once more, taking in the sounds of the world around her. Distant rumble of cars, intermittent chirping of the birds outside, Hina humming in the living room…

_It's been a strange weekend. I really just hope all of this is resolved and over._

Everything was right with the world… was it?

Opening her bedroom door, she stepped outside to see Hina doodling on her notebook once again, with her usual short braided hair framing her face. The scene of normality was enough to tug at her lips, though the favour wasn't returned as Hina stared at her weirdly.

"Onee-chan?.."

Had Sayo really gotten so used to it with a single day, that it had taken her this long to realise?

_No. No no no no no!_

Her eyes widening, Sayo raised a hand to her head, grasping at strands that were no longer there. Turning back into her room, she spotted her unfortunate locks of hair bundled up and lying on her dresser, where they had been neatly trimmed off with a pair of scissors.

Unable to bear it anymore, she let out the loudest shriek she ever had in her life.

"HIKAWA SAAAYYYYOOOOOOOOO!"

"Oh my god, you look just like me now Onee-chan! Boppin'!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Every encounter a miracle, each meeting once in a lifetime."  
My own extended version of ichi-go ichi-e, a Japanese tea ceremony proverb that indicates that each moment is once in a lifetime, and each meeting only happens once. For this story, there was no better saying to summarise it.
> 
> A lot of people have left questions in the comments about whether I'll write about alt!Sayo but that was unfortunately not in the plans for this story. It was certainly an interesting question of what would happen though, though probably not one I might visit as I can't really envision how it would work myself. To me, Sayo is already in her developed character and it's hard for me to imagine her past self.
> 
> All that's left is the epilogue, so I'll see you all again soon. In the meantime, feel free to reread what's been posted so far and potentially spot some easter eggs I've left!


	7. Epilogue

"We could totally buy matching clothes! Hmm, do you think Aya-chan and Tsugumi-chan would be able to tell us apart then? It'll be zappin', we should give it a try!"

Sayo nibbled morosely at her breakfast, while Hina continued talking a mile a minute across from her. Sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a plate of sandwiches before her, it felt almost like the same scene from a day before.

"You could replace me for Pastel✽Palettes' practice on the days I don't feel like going! And I could replace you for Roselia's!"

Same scene perhaps, but this one felt a lot more intimately like home.

"Hina," Sayo started as she took another sip of her coffee. "Calm down. No one's going to be fooled by you or me pretending to be each other."

"Hehe, I'm just so excited! What was that scream though, Onee-chan? Why did you decide to cut your hair? And why did you do it yourself instead of going to a hairdresser?" Hina put a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "I mean I could probably have done it for you as well if you asked me… It seems kind of fun!"

"Maybe next time," Sayo replied mildly halfway through a sandwich. Slightly messier than the other world's Hina's, but it felt good to be back with the sister she had grown up with. "Anyway, I just felt like a change of pace."

"In the middle of the night?"

"In the middle of the night."

"Ehh? And people say I'm the weird one," Hina pouted.

_I should tell Hina about what happened… but not today._

"If you keep questioning me Hina, I'm going to tell everyone I cut it off because you stuck gum in my hair."

A look of horror flooded the idol's face. "That's slander! You can't do that!"

"You know everyone would believe it."

"I'll be good!" Hina whined. "Just go shopping with me for matching outfits and I won't ask any more questions, promise!"

"Mm, maybe next week."

"Yay! Oops, it's almost time for me to leave. I'm going to Aya-chan's so I’ll be out until dinner!"

"Going on a date?" Sayo raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm not this time. Aya-chan invited all of Pasupare over to watch the Blu-Ray of Marmalade's Final Live! It only just came out last week, though it's been a year since their final live."

_Hold on. I… I've heard that recently. Where was it again… CiRCLE?_

A frown creased Sayo's forehead, as a fragment of a memory came to mind. "Say again? Marmalade?"

"You know, the popular idol group that Aya-chan really adored? She cried so hard when we got her to meet Ayumi-san, haha! But yeah, it was during that period that Aya-chan went through some really tough times," Hina thought with her head tilted. "Though a lot of good stuff came out of it; we totally had some boppin' tea sessions talking about why we started our music careers… and I talked to you about it too Onee-chan!"

"Marmalade… disbanded a year ago… Our first promise." Sayo muttered to herself. "Of course. It all makes sense now."

"Onee-chan?"

_I won't ever know the real answer for sure. But I guess in the end it also doesn't matter._

Sayo shook her head with a wry smile. "It's nothing. Have fun, and I'll see you later."

"Okay! See you later Onee-chan!"

* * *

Feeling the soft hands gently cradling her head and examining her hair from every angle, Sayo resigned herself to her situation as she leaned against her bedframe while sitting on the floor.

Up on the bed, Tsugumi was examining her hair with utmost curiosity, and a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "I still can't believe this is real."

"Me neither, Tsugumi-san."

"I mean, it's definite proof of what you were talking about… Oh, I would absolutely have believed you either way Sayo-san! But it's just… very surprising!" Tsugumi's hands stopped examining her hair, and started lightly stroking it instead.

"I gave Hina quite the shock this morning with my scream. I can assure you that yes, it was indeed very surprising, especially to me."

"But still, why did she cut off your hair?.. That's the part I don't understand."

As much as she hated to admit it, Sayo didn't quite understand it herself. "Honestly, I don't have a clue either."

"Hmm… If it was an angry, depressed Sayo-san…"

Sayo looked askance at the girl on her bed, frowning deep in thought.

"It’s just a guess, but I think she just wanted to feel connected to someone..?"

"Huh?"

Tsugumi started wringing her hands nervously. "The obvious possibility is she's just lashing out at you, punishing you for having everything while she has nothing… but if it's Sayo-san, then I believe it's something else. I think she just wanted to share an experience with you."

"I'm… not sure I follow." Sayo had her own frown on her face now.

"The two of you will never meet since you can only swap positions, but she's left an indelible mark on you in your world. And now you two have the same experience of having short hair. It's a connection between your worlds…" Tsugumi trailed off. "Sorry if I'm not making sense, Sayo-san, it's just the feeling I get. But I'm certain it wasn't malicious, even if we may not understand what she was thinking."

Sayo sighed. "You really can always see the good in people… But yes, I'm certain it wasn't malicious either."

"Oh?”

"I mean if nothing else, she did do our math homework, and did her best to stay out of trouble," Sayo replied as she pulled at her much shorter strands. "I just wish she had done something more normal like write a letter or something."

"Hey, it's not all bad, right? Short hair's great!"

Looking up at her girlfriend's short haircut, Sayo couldn't find much to argue with. "Well if you don't mind, maybe I'll keep it for a while. At least Hina seems to like it."

"You look just as beautiful with it, Sayo-san. Though hmm, I suppose people might start mistaking the two of you."

Blushing at the compliment, Sayo chose to respond only to the second half. "I told Hina this morning there was no way that was happening. Two hours later I opened the door for you, and you asked me whether Sayo-san was in her room."

Flushing red, Tsugumi shook Sayo gently. "Uuh… you didn't tell me you cut your hair!"

"You've heard my story and I think you can agree it's not exactly a tale one tells over the phone."

Tsugumi laughed lightly, before hugging the bed's orange cushion to her chest. "Tell me more about that other world, Sayo-san. I want to know everything!"

"I already told you everything I remember though. There's not much else aside from those conversations I had; it was just a single day after all.

"Oh…" Tsugumi pondered to herself for a moment. "I wonder what else was different there. An alternate universe…"

"I can tell you what I learned though," Sayo picked herself up off the floor, sitting back on the bed. "I learned how important it is to be honest with the people around me… and also how precious those people are to me. Hina, Roselia, all my family and friends… and especially you.

"Sayo-san…"

Placing her hand over Tsugumi's, emerald eyes met soft brown ones. "When I was there, all I could really think of was how much I missed you. So… I love you, Tsugumi. Thank you for being with me all this time, and I hope you'll continue to walk with me on our path together."

Her answer was a chaste kiss on the cheek, and warmth nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

"I'll always be by your side. I love you too, Sayo."

* * *

On the same bed, in the same but slightly different room, a girl was reaching the end of a letter she held in her trembling hands.

> _We've never been good at being honest with our emotions. That's an inescapable fact. Even a year on, I still find it hard to express myself most of the time. That's why for so long, we used cold logic as our escape. _
> 
> _That's how we ended up where we were, a year ago._
> 
> _I was lucky to get out of that trap when I did. The world was kind to me._
> 
> _I still don't know what was missing in this world for you, what was the disparity that led to our different fates. But what I know is this: It is not an excuse for you to remain unchanging, unmoving._
> 
> _I know it's easy enough for me to say this, but you too, are a living, breathing person just as capable of change as I am._ _You can't continue like this, and you know it too._
> 
> _You’ll have to create your future with your own hands._
> 
> _Even if fate refuses to hand you happiness, you must go find it yourself._
> 
> _There's so much more I wish I could tell you about all the things I learned over the past year._
> 
> _About Hina's love for us._  
_About Minato-san's steadfast will._  
_ About Imai-san's caring heart._  
_ About Udagawa-san's unstoppable momentum._  
_ About Shirokane-san's hidden courage._  
_ About Tsugumi-san's cheerful determination._
> 
> _But that wouldn't be fair, because those are my memories._
> 
> _And it's time for you to get out there and make some of your own._
> 
> _I know you can do it, because we are still the same person, through and through. I have faith in us._
> 
> _We'll never meet, but I wish you all the best._
> 
> _Yours Truly,  
Hikawa Sayo_

…

A single teardrop wound its way down the girl's cheek, falling to the light blue cushion lying on the mattress.

"Just what… have I been doing all this while…"

An unsteady step, emerging from the safe haven that was her bed.

Another step, more firm this time, past her guitar on its stand. Her only trusted companion up to this point.

A third step past the mirror, where her tearful expression stared back at her. Unsightly, ugly, but authentic.

And a fourth step past the clock ticking away on the wall.

She opened the door into the world where her sister sat outside, humming as she flicked through channels on the TV.

"Hina."

"Onee…chan?"

"Do you… have time to talk?"

She was almost unprepared, when the other girl practically launched herself from the sofa into her arms, long teal hair fluttering gracefully behind.

"I'll always have time for you, Onee-chan!"

**Fin.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of this fic was something I quite liked writing, and I hope it brought out the emotions appropriately.
> 
> As for the explanation behind it all, it was something I came up with halfway through writing. When I was starting getting into Garupa, I knew Sayo was my favourite character, so I went to read her stories on JP. But when I hit the Autumn Rain event, I had no idea what was this promise they referenced near the end; where the start to this whole Sayo Hina storyline even was. It was only when I was reading Garupa EN stories that I realised it was in the first Pasupare event story all along, one that seemingly looked like it was just Aya focused. And that's the amazing thing about Garupa. Its stories are everywhere and all interconnected; it's an actual world of realistic characters.
> 
> I'll be answering all questions left in the comments for this chapter now, so feel free to leave your thoughts! While I already had this fic outlined since I completed my last one mid April, I don't have plans for more fics for this series right now but who knows what the future will bring...
> 
> It's been real fun writing this. Thank you all for your support.


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